Happy Hanukkah Swan
by imhookedonaswan
Summary: The Charmings discover that Killian is Jewish and decide to surprise him with a Hanukkah dinner


"Hey Grandma and Grandpa, did the Enchanted Forrest have holiday traditions like this world?" Henry asked Snow and Charming as he ate some french fries. The Charming family plus Killian were sitting in their usual corner booth at Granny's for a family dinner discussing the upcoming holidays.

"You know we actually did, we had the Winter Solstice where there would be big festivals and feasts all over the realm. It's not that much different than Christmas here, there's still food and hot drinks and gift giving," David answered his grandson with a thoughtful look on his face.

"You forgot the Light Festival Dave," Killian said taking a sip of his rum and cocking his eyebrow when David and Snow looked at him with confused expressions.

"I'm sorry, I don't remember a Light Festival during the solstice," said Snow.

"How can you not have heard about it? We light the 8 candles to commemorate the 8 days the oil burned in the Holy Temple and there's latkes and dreidel," Killian explained becoming more and more confused at the looks on their faces.

"Killian are you talking about Hanukkah?" Henry asked.

"Aye lad, how do you know of it?" Killian responded tilting his head in confusion.

"We have that holiday in this world, like that exact holiday. How did you have it in a completely different realm?" Emma asked.

"Well history says that 10 tribes were expelled from the Holy Land and were given a portal to another land so that they could practice in peace," Killian explained.

"So are you saying you're Jewish?" asked David.

"Well half on my mother's side," Killian answered with a grin, "Is there a problem?" he asked noting how everyone at the table was looking at each other.

"Of course not, weren't expecting this" Emma said placing her hand on his. They all turned back to their food and changed the subject to where the best place to go ice skating would be.

"We should do something for him," said Henry on the ride back in David's truck after Killian had gone back to his room at Granny's.

"Like what kid?" Emma said putting her arm around him.

"Like have a Hanukkah dinner, Eli Cohen told me that his mom and Bubbie are making mountains of rugalah and latkes."

"What is a Bubbie? And who is Eli Cohen?" Snow asked from the front seat.

"A Jewish grandma and the Cohens were our neighbors in New York. Have you guys never met a Jewish person before?" Emma asked her parents incredulously.

"To be honest no, not in this land or the Enchanted Forest," David said pulling into a spot in front of the loft.

"Well I think it's a great idea to have Hanukkah dinner here at the loft, show Killian he can be a part of this family" said Snow as she opened her door and accepted her son from Emma who was watching him in the back seat.

"Yeah that'd be great but where the hell do we get a menorah?" Emma asked half joking half serious.

"That we can worry about first thing in the morning," said David opening the door to the loft.

The next morning Emma went out on a mission to find a menorah, if they were going to do a Hanukkah dinner, they were going to do it right. She first went to Gold's shop, that was probably going to be her best bet, she opened the door and saw Belle at the desk still taking inventory of everything in the shop. Belle was running double duty as librarian and pawn shop owner since Gold disappeared after he tried to remove himself from the power of the dagger.

"Hi Emma, do you need help with something?" the brunette asked looking up from her books.

"Yeah actually, you wouldn't have come across a menorah would you?" Emma said.

Belle looked confused, "I didn't know you celebrated Hanukkah," she said looking through her records.

"I don't, it's for Killian," Emma responded somewhat awkwardly.

"Oh I didn't realize he was Jewish."

"Yeah who knew? So do you have one?"

"I do actually. Let me grab it out of the back," Belle turned and went into the back room and came back out with a plain brass menorah and a box of candles.

"Thanks, how do you know so much about Hanukkah anyway? My parents were pretty clueless about it until Henry and I gave them the gist of it," Emma inquired as she picked up the menorah and candles.

"I've read about it," Belle said waving her hand. Emma should have guessed that, the woman did love to read after all, "How do you know so much about it? You and Henry not Jewish,"

"Our neighbors in New York were Jewish and kind enough to invite us to Shabbat dinner on Saturday nights," Emma explained and turned to leave waving to Belle.

"Um Emma? Do you think I could come to Hanukkah dinner? Since Rumple left, I realized I don't really know that many people here," Belle said not meeting Emma's eyes.

"Of course you can, my mom's planning on making enough brisket to feed a small army so come hungry," Emma smiled at Belle's relieved expression.

Emma and Belle headed back to the loft to help her mother with decorating the loft and preparing dinner. When they got there they found Snow at the sink with a pile of potatoes next to her, furiously peeling them and placing them in a bowl.

"Oh hi honey, hey Belle can you two do me a favor and start shredding the potatoes and placing them in that bowl of cold water?" she said still peeling potatoes.

"Sure," Emma placed the menorah and candles on the kitchen counter and started hand shredding the potatoes, "How did you become so knowledgable about latkes?"

"The internet is as close to magic as this realm is ever going to get," Snow said with a smile. They busied themselves and David and Henry cooking dinner and setting up the menorah on the mantle and before sundown Emma called Killian telling him to come over to the loft for a surprise.

"What kind of surprise Swan?" he asked over the phone and she could practically hear his smile.

"One that I think you'll love," she said before hanging up and checking on the brisket.

A knock at the door announced Killian's arrival and Emma let him in. Killian stood in the doorway taking in the smell of brisket and latkes and the sight of the menorah on the mantle.

"Swan did you do all this?" he asked her while pulling her into a hug.

"It was actually Henry's idea. Happy first night of Hanukkah!" she said hugging him back and pulling him into the loft. They all gathered around the menorah as Killian lit the shamus candle and the first candle and sang the three prayers, the blessing for the candles, the blessing for the miracle of Hanukkah, and the shehecheyanu. Emma looked at his face illuminated by the candlelight, slightly taken aback by how good he looked with the light flickering over his face.

"All right well let's eat then," said Killian with grin still looking at the candles. Everyone went to the table to indulge in the brisket, latkes, challah bread, and various other side dishes, laughing and talking and maybe drinking a little too much Manischewitz wine. They settled in the living room to play some dreidel and eat some rugalahs and jelly doughnuts. Killian skillfully spun the dreidel and soon had most of the pot of little chocolate coins stacked neatly by his side.

"How did you get so good at this?" Henry asked slightly awed.

"When you play it on a ship with a bunch of other pirates and with real doubloons, playing on dry land with, no offense a bunch of novices, is much too easy," Killian said spinning the dreidel again and getting it to land on gimel, successfully knocking David out of the game. It soon came down to he and Belle both furiously spinning the dreidel and collecting and giving to the pot, but soon the tides turned in Belle's favor and she threw her hands up in victory when she landed on gimel and collected all of the chocolate coins.

"Well done Lady Belle, a victory very well earned," said Killian leaning back on his arms. He looked over to Henry who was sprawled out on the floor next to him. "You alright lad?" Killian asked prodding him in the shoulder.

"So much food, can't move," Henry moaned causing everyone to laugh.

"He does have a point, that was a mountain of food Mom," Emma said leaning back into the couch and sighing.

"Well that much food is customary for most Jewish holidays, Passover has even more food," said Killian causing them all to groan slightly and he started laughing. It was getting late and David and Henry were down for the count and succumbing to a food coma so Emma took Belle and Killian home in her bug. They dropped off Belle at the library and she got out and closed the door.

"Thank you for letting me join in Emma!" she said before turning and walking towards the library. Emma and Killian drove over to Granny's and they both got out to walk him to his room.

"Thank you Swan," he said gently taking her in his arms, "That was one of the best Hanukkahs I've had in a long time," he said.

"Your welcome, what was your best one?"

"Probably the time my mother made enough latkes to feed the entire village so she, my brother, and I went around handing them out to everyone," he said with a chuckle. Emma smiled imagining a much smaller Killian handing out little potato pancakes to everyone he sees. She takes a step forward and leans in giving him a small kiss, he encircles her waist with his arms not quite ready to stop kissing her. She breaks apart from him, knowing her parents were expecting her home soon and feeling much too full to do anything more.

"Good night and happy Hanukkah Killian," she said softly smiling up at him.

"Happy Hanukkah Swan."


End file.
